The Hot Rod Industry Alliance, a group dedicated to addressing the challenges facing this segment of the automotive aftermarket, held their annual education day last March 6 at the Detroit Autorama in the newly renovated Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. Among the many issues discussed during the event, Driven Racing Oil‘s lubrication specialist, Lake Speed Jr. explained the harmful effects of Ethanol on fuel systems. Speed goes into depth and shows exactly what Ethanol will do to your carburetor and fuel systems if you do not prevent the damage.

Speed explains the effects of ethanol fuels.

Ethanol is here, and it is being increased in substantial amounts to the fuel that you get at the gas pumps. A little education and knowledge goes a long way, which is what Speed was on hand to share. While we have covered this topic before, it is always interesting to see what others have to say about ethanol in fuel.

Speed specifically targeted the effects of ethanol on carburetors. “It is not a fuel injection system, so it behaves differently,” said Speed. He went on to explain what ethanol is and how it creates the corrosion and build up inside the carburetors that are exposed to ethanol fuels.

Speed discussed Driven’s history with ethanol fuel as it related to the Joe Gibbs Race team. Showing the common areas in the carburetors that are affected by the ethanol fuels, Speed ended up by explaining how to protect these areas.

The bottom line from Speed’s discussion is to avoid ethanol fuels if you have a carbureted application. If you can’t, then use corrosion inhibitors to help protect the carbs. He also warned about proper storage and minimizing the exposure to moisture.

For more information about Driven Racing Oil, please visit them at www.drivenracingoil.com